Early shoppers swarm stores before dawn looking for holiday bargains

That’s what compelled Kiki Kramer to get in line outside Best Buy at 10 a.m. Thanksgiving Day to save $100 on the computer her sister wants.

Kramer said she was the first in line outside the store on South Duff Avenue. By 10:30 p.m., the line wrapped around the building as people braved 30-degree temperatures with a stiff breeze in search of the best holiday shopping bargains once the store opened at midnight.

It was the same just about everywhere Thursday night.

North Grand Mall opened at midnight for the first time to welcome early Black Friday shoppers. Walmart, Target and Kmart all opened earlier in the evening, their parking lots quickly filling with shopers.

Kramer, 17, of Ames, stood in line 14 hours to get her sister’s gift.

“It’s family tradition,” said Kramer, who was bundled up in a hat, scarf, mittens and heavy coat outside Best Buy. “It’s our family time for the year.”

Kramer said her family postponed Thanksgiving until Saturday to accommodate the early shopping deals.

Was it worth the long wait in line?

“The bragging rights alone are worth it,” Kramer said about being first in line.

Beth Scott, 45, of Nevada, got to Walmart just before the store opened at 8 p.m. She left the store at about 10:30 p.m. with two shopping carts filled with items, including a 32-inch LCD television and a laptop computer.

She didn’t mind the stores opening earlier on Thanksgiving.

“We started our day much earlier, and we were ready to get out of the house, honestly,” said Scott, who was shopping with her 20-year-old daughter, Heather Huntrods.

Across town at North Grand Mall, Angela Johnston, 45, of Gilbert, was shopping with her daughter and son after making an earlier stop at Walmart.

“We have a little caffeine going,” Johnston said.

Her daughter, Miranda Hardy, 18, of Ames, said she didn’t have anything in particular she was shopping for.

“Even if I don’t buy anything, I like going for the fun of it,” Hardy said while holding a coffee cup.

Theresa Minich, a 40-something mom from Ellsworth, said she was chaperoning her 17-year-old daughter, Molly, who was excited about shopping early.

“I love shopping,” said Molly, a student at South Hamilton High School.

Molly Minich was looking for new basketball shoes and new jeans, items she acknowledged would be gifts for herself.

Her mother said there is also a “social aspect” to going out at midnight for early holiday shopping.